One And Done: D.B. Weiss And David Benioff Confirm Again They Will Not Be Involved With ‘Game of Thrones’ Spin-Offs

Not that it is all that surprising considering all the things they have said in the press lately about how unlikely it is about them coming back should HBO decide to move forward with a ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off, but it seems we have yet more confirmation that the show-runners for ‘Game of Thrones,’ D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, will not be returning to Westeros once Season 8 of the series is complete.

Should HBO choose to produce a spin-off, whether that take place sometime after the events of the series, or as is more likely, take place before the events of the series as a kind of prequel series, the ‘Game of Thrones’ showrunners will have no involvement, which may be disappointing for a lot of fans who felt that it was Weiss and Benioff’s vision that really brought the show to life. True, it was George R.R. Martin’s book’s that crafted the world and the character’s, but Weiss and Benioff’s were able to take that world and make it palatable for the modern TV audience, and condense some very dense literature into storylines and plots that could easily carry 10 episode seasons of television, which is no easy feat, and a lot of fans, including yours truly, are not sure anyone new stepping into their shoes will be able to handle the world of Westeros quite as deftly.

So where does the latest confirmation of the duo leaving the franchise come from? During a recent South by Southwest panel with Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner, Weiss and Benioff had the following to say about the prospects of them returning for a spin-off:

“I think HBO might well do [a prequel or spinoff] and I look forward to watching it and I think it be great, but I think they should get new blood in.”

Of course, this follows the other sad confirmation the guys recently made, that Season 8 will indeed only be 6 episodes, making it a rather disappointing month for ‘Game of Thrones’ fans, who already had a tough winter having to wait so long for the series to return. Fortunately, there is a teaser trailer for the return of the show finally out (which you can check out below), and there is still hope for that spin-off, which even without Weiss and Benioff still has some potential. HBO itself still has a good track record, and they will surely find someone involved from the original series capable of turning out a decent series, even if it does not feel entirely the same as the original ‘Game of Thrones.’

What are your thoughts on the future of the franchise? Do you think it’s all over once the finale airs? Or do you think HBO will be able to milk it some more with that spin-off, even without the show-runners? Share your thoughts on the matter in the comments below!

Nick is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, who belongs to the privileged few who enjoyed the ending to ‘Lost.’ For more of Nick’s thoughts and articles, follow him on Twitter.

Nicholas Graff

A Southern California native (which seems to be a rarity as everyone seems to migrate here from outside the state, and everyone else born here ends up leaving for less crowded spaces), but for Nick, he loves it here. Nick has been writing since he was a teenager, self-published his first book trilogy, 'The Legacy of the Roras' back in 2011, and in 2014 published the inaugural issue of his first comic book, 'The Shadow of Aquaterra.' While not working on my own projects, he is working as a technical film editor at a major television network in their digital media division and recently began writing news and recap articles for ScienceFiction.com, a position which he has found extremely rewarding.